Photo © jeroenapers.nl
Birdhouses attached to the outer walls of urban buildings are an important element of Ottoman architecture in Turkey.
Ottoman architecture originated in Bursa and Edirne in the XV-XVI centuries. It developed from the earlier Seljuk architecture and was influenced by Byzantine, Armenian, and Iranian architecture, as well as Islamic Mamluk traditions after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople.
The Ottomans reached a high level of architecture. The technique they used to create a huge internal space with the help of vaults, domes, half-domes and columns allowed creating an aesthetic and elegantly refined style in Islamic architecture. To this day, you can find objects in the style of Ottoman architecture in the former territories of the empire.
But we will talk about homes for birds that nest outside mosques, hotels, bridges, libraries, schools, and fountains. Birdhouses were not simple concrete structures, but rather complex examples of miniature Islamic architecture.
Each of them was designed for a similar design, which harmoniously fit into the exterior of the entire structure. At the same time, birdhouses provided shelter to birds and protected the walls from bird droppings. It was also believed that they performed a religious role. Houses for birds brought good luck to everyone who built them.
Birdhouses on mosques called kuş köşkü (bird pavilions), güvercinlik (dovecotes) and serçe saray (palaces for sparrows). Only some of these mansions today are preserved in their original form, but their place is firmly rooted in the history of Turkey.